Eleanor Ledger

Eleanor Ledger, 93, Bismarck, died March 27, 2016, at CHI St. Alexius Health, Bismarck. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, April 2, at Church of Corpus Christi, 1919 N 2nd St., Bismarck, with Rev. Terry Wipf officiating. Burial will be held at Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck. Visitation will be held from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm Friday, April 1, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a rosary/vigil will begin at 6:00 pm. Eleanor was born August 3, 1922, in Strasburg, ND, the daughter of Wendelin and Barbara (Baumgartner) Wikenheiser. She grew up on a farm near Strasburg and taught rural Country school. On June 14th, 1942, she married Bernard Axtman. They lived in Trenton, New Jersey until his discharge from the Navy in 1945. They returned to the Midwest to live in Montana and then North Dakota to raise their family. Eleanor worked as a bank teller for Dakota National Bank in Bismarck. She married Bill Ledger on June 18th, 1975. They lived in Orange, California where Eleanor worked for the First National Bank of Orange, California. Bill and Eleanor moved to Bismarck, North Dakota where Eleanor worked as a cashier for Cystic Fibrosis at the VFW for fifteen years until retiring. She spent her last years at Edgewood Vista participating in many events. Eleanor was a member of the Church of Corpus Christi where she was involved with the Catholic Daughters and St. Francis Guild. She belonged to the Elks and the VFW. Eleanor enjoyed crocheting, gardening, sewing, ceramics, embroidery, playing cards and shopping. She decorated for every holiday and spent many hours cooking and entertaining for family and friends. Eleanor had a sharp wit and a love for life and so many of her family and friends who have gone before will be excited to spend time with her again on the other side. Eleanor is survived by her daughter Linda Axtman; three grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, Michael and Cynthia Axtman with sons Davis and Derek; Jeff and Kristen (Axtman) Tinkham with son Benjamin; and William and Catherine Axtman with children, Charles, Alison and Kristen; her brother and sister-in-law Clarence and Nina Wikenheiser; her sister, Victoria Voller, sisters-in-law, Viola Schumacher and Mary Axtman as well as many nieces and nephews. Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents; her son Bob; her husbands, Bernard and Bill; her sister, Bertha and her brothers Alois, Bill and Ray.